Hounds Below combine vintage, modern howls

November 15, 2012

The band, which released its debut album ''You Light Me Up in the Dark'' last month on Slimstyle Records, was started in 2009 by Jason Stollsteimer, former lead singer and guitar player with Detroit's The Von Bondies, as a solo project called Jason and The Hounds Below. The side project created during a break from the Von Bondies has evolved into a more of a full-band effort, with Stollsteimer joined by Matthew Hofman on bass, Griffin Bastian on drums and Skye Thrasher on guitar.

In an email interview, Stollsteimer and Hofman said that the inspiration behind forming The Hounds Below was a lifelong love affair with the early seeds of rock 'n' roll. The band successfully intertwines a vintage sound with a modern twist. Stollsheimer and Hofman cite influential golden age rock 'n' roll greats, such as Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison and Otis Redding.

The band also agrees that their sound embodies the post-punk ethic of acts such as Echo and The Bunnymen, Pavement, The Pixies and Phoenix. These influences constitute the modern end of the band's sound.

Before the release of ''You Light Me Up in the Dark,'' the band had released the single ''Crawling Back to You'' and the 2001 EP, ''Hounds Below.''

When comparing the The Hounds Below to The Von Bondies, Stollsheimer and Hofman said that The Hounds Below's music is "more of a group effort."

Fact Box

WHO: The Hounds Below, Pomegranates and The Regrettes

WHEN: 10 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Cedars Lounge, 23 N. Hazel St., Youngstown

HOW MUCH: $5

The band plan to tour extensively in the United States and Canada, and treks to Europe and the United Kingdom also are in the works for the coming year.